Drowning in spreadsheets, lost in endless email threads, or frustrated by missed deadlines? Behold the chaos of modern team management.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of team management tools that can help you reclaim your time, boost your productivity, and streamline your schedule.
Check out our list of team management software types to simplify your team’s workflow and keep everyone on the same page.
Why you need team management software: The benefits explained
Team management tools can help your teams collaborate better. But they can also improve productivity and elevate your team’s performance.
Here are the kinds of benefits you will see when you pick the right tools:
Increased productivity: Team tools streamline tasks and processes, cutting down on manual work. You and your team can focus on core duties rather than waste time on administrative duties.
Better communication and collaboration: Good team management tools offer a centralized platform for efficient collaboration and communication. You’ll experience better synergy when your teams can easily work together on documents and projects.
More accountability: Enhanced task transparency clarifies every member’s role and helps them take responsibility for delivery.
Remote work support: With virtual collaboration and communication tools, managing remote team meetings and projects becomes straightforward, regardless of location.
Easier document sharing and management: Centralizing documentation helps ensure secure, accessible document organization since everyone works off the most updated version.
Accelerated onboarding: Use team tools to streamline training, collate essential resources, and simplify your team’s learning journey.
Better financial management: Oversee payroll, bonuses, and overtime effortlessly, ensuring financial operations run smoothly.
Data-driven decisions: Leverage built-in analytics to make informed choices, optimizing team performance based on concrete metrics.
Must-have team management software in 2023
Here’s a list of the most popular team tools to aid in remote collaboration, boost employee engagement, and improve team productivity:
1. Best for automated team scheduling and task prioritization: Motion AI
Motion is an AI-driven productivity tool and task management software that automatically organizes employee schedules. Its intelligent algorithm prioritizes tasks based on urgency and availability, creating the most efficient schedule without overworking anyone.
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Key features:
- AI-powered employee scheduling
- Focus-time blocking
- Intelligent task prioritization
- AI Meeting Assistant
- Calendar synchronization
- Automated alerts and notifications
Pros:
- Intelligently schedules tasks based on availability and priorities
- Automatically reprioritizes schedules and task dependencies if users’ urgencies change
- Helps block users’ focus time to avoid distractions
- Automatically alerts users to overcommitment
- Integrates with popular third-party apps easily
Cons:
- Doesn’t include time tracking
Pricing: Team package costs $12/month/user
2. Best for work management: monday.com
Monday.com is a highly visual project management platform with customization features for any team size. This tool offers task and project planning, file sharing, automation, and communication tools.
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Key features:
- Custom templates
- Kanban boards
- Gantt charts
- Custom workflows and automation
Pros:
- Is highly customizable
- Includes user-friendly, color-coded, custom dashboards
- Automates repetitive tasks to accelerate workflows
Cons:
- Can lag when projects are large or complex
- Steep learning curve
Pricing: Starts at $10/user/month
3. Best for onboarding and training: TalentLMS
TalentLMS is a super-scalable cloud-based learning management system (LMS) that helps businesses onboard and train employees.
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Key features:
- Customizable onboarding programs
- Gamification tools and social learning
- Interactive digital training courses
- Performance monitoring and reporting
Pros:
- Is easy to learn
- Has customizable features
- Offers collaborative features for social learning
- Includes a range of integrations
Cons:
- It can be slow at times
- Relatively expensive starting price
Pricing: Starts at $59/month
4. Best for productivity tracking: Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a cloud-based employee productivity tool that helps businesses track where and how their employees spend their work hours to improve their time management.
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Key features:
- Real-time automatic time-tracking tools
- Screenshots and screen recordings
- Productivity and employee-monitoring features
- Automated payroll
Pros:
- Comprehensive set of features
- Easy to use
- Affordable
Cons:
- Can be intrusive for some employees
- Some features are only available on higher-tier plans
Pricing: Starts at $7/user/month
5. Best for managing communication: Slack
Slack is a team communication platform that’s well-known for its organized, intuitive chat features that make communication feel seamless.
Key features:
- Direct messages, group chats, voice calling, and video conferencing tools
- Channels and threaded conversations
- Searchable history
- File sharing
Pros:
- Highly organized, centralized asynchronous communication
- Lots of options for real-time communication
- Freemium model
- Affordable, scalable pricing
Cons:
- The free version has a 10,000-message archive limit
- Searchability is limited in the free version
Pricing: Starts with a free plan
6. Best for accessible file sharing: Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud-based file storage and document management software that stores and shares files and facilitates real-time collaboration.
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Key features:
- Real-time collaboration tools
- Version control
- Offline access
- Integration with other Google Workspace tools
Pros:
- Very user-friendly
- Affordable
- Customizable access and sharing
- Cross-device document availability
Cons:
- Limited storage space on the free plan
- Doesn’t always integrate easily with non-Google tools
Pricing: Starts with a free plan
7. Best for all-in-one collaboration: Notion
Notion is an all-in-one note-taking, task management, and team collaboration tool with extensive collaboration features for all types of projects.
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Key features:
- Customizable dashboards and pages
- To-do lists and reminders
- Kanban boards and calendars
- File collaboration and sharing
Pros
- Customizable templates
- Easy to learn
- Real-time document collaboration and shared workspaces
- Cost-effective for small teams
Cons
- Limited functionality in offline mode
- It may be complex for non-tech users at first
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $5/month
8. Best for online meetings: Zoom
Zoom is an easy-to-use online platform for virtual meetings where users can host, join, and record video calls.
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Key features:
- HD video and audio
- Screen sharing
- Chat functionality
- Meeting-recording capabilities
Pros:
- Simple user interface
- Comprehensive set of video chat features
- Cost-friendly for small companies
Cons:
- Free plan has limited features
- Some features are only available on higher-tier plans
Pricing: Starts with a free plan
9. Best for performance reviews and feedback: Lattice
Lattice is a performance management platform designed for companies to conduct performance reviews and manage employee feedback.
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Key features:
- Performance review features
- Two-way feedback mechanisms
- Goal-setting and tracking
- Performance coaching and career-planning tools
Pros:
- Comprehensive tools for employee development
- Easy to use
- Excellent customer support
- Lots of integrations with other HR tools available
Cons:
- Some users have reported that the software can be a little buggy
Pricing: Starts at $11/user/month
10. Best for HR management and payroll: Gusto
Gusto is a full-suite HR management and payroll software for managing employees from hiring to retirement.
Key features:
- Automated payroll
- Time-tracking
- Hiring and onboarding features
- Employee benefits management tools
Pros:
- Automated HR and payroll workflows
- Easy onboarding
- Affordable pricing
- Great customer support
Cons:
- Difficult to customize
- Missing some of the features of larger HR and payroll platforms
Pricing: Starts at $40/month
What to consider when picking team management software
With so many software options on the market, what should you consider when deciding on the best one for you?
Ease of use
Consider both how straightforward the software is to learn and how easy it is to use. These two factors will help you migrate and start experiencing the benefits right away.
Make sure the software offers online training tutorials so you can onboard your entire team quickly. At the same time, look for user-friendly interfaces that reduce the need for extensive training.
Cost
Don’t give hidden charges the chance to shock you. Instead, look for tools with straightforward pricing.
Also, make sure the software is a good financial fit. Find tools that offer high value and the right features at a reasonable price.
Scalability
As your business grows, you’ll need your tools to grow with you. Make sure the software you pick can scale without a hitch.
Also, consider feature expansion. While you may only need a few tools now, consider what you might need in the future.
Integration
If you already have a tech stack, make sure you’re adding team tools with seamless integrations that will easily connect with your existing tools.
Security and data protection
The software you choose should offer security features that align with your industry-specific standards and regulations. You don’t want unintentional breaches.
4 tips for migrating to team management software
Consider the following four strategic approaches to help ensure a streamlined migration:
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1. Prioritize tool migration
Assess your current systems and pinpoint the most detrimental bottlenecks. Prioritize tools that will likely have the biggest effect on your major blockers in the shortest amount of time.
2. Train your team well
Before rolling it out company-wide, test the software with a small subset of your team. Take advantage of the training materials that come with the product, as well as any third-party tutorials.
3. Communicate migration progress
Create a migration plan and communicate it effectively to all team members and stakeholders so that everyone knows when they’re expected to use a new tool. Build a system for feedback so everyone on the team can report any issues that arise.
4. Make contingency plans
If the migration doesn’t go to plan or the software doesn’t offer what you need, have a rollback plan so you can transition back to your old system.
Incorporate the right team management software for your team’s needs
Now that you know the benefits of team management software, you can use these tools to boost productivity, enhance communication, and increase accountability in your team.
The first step is to get your team members’ schedules in order.
Motion’s AI-powered scheduling tool creates dynamic, personalized schedules for optimal team streamlining and coordination. Everyone knows what task to work on next, and nobody feels burnt out.
